Jersey Journal file photoFormer Jersey City police chief Frank Gajewski has announced a run for City Council next year, on the slate of candidates endorsed by Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop.

Former Jersey City police chief Frank Gajewski plans to run for City Council next year on Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop’s ticket, The Jersey Journal has learned.

Gajewski, 62, ran the city’s police force for a brief period starting in June 2000, at the tail end of former mayor Bret Schundler’s term. The Roosevelt Stadium Court resident filed campaign finance documents in July 2011, but has only recently joined the Fulop slate.

The Jersey Journal learned about Gajewski’s addition to Fulop’s ticket – which also includes current council members David Donnelly and Rolando Lavarro, as well as Ward E activist Candice Osborne – after discovering Gajewski’s name on campaign finance documents for the slate, dubbed “Team Fulop.”

The announcement was intended to be made publically tonight at a Fulop fundraiser at Zeppelin Hall.

In a statement, Gajewski said he has a “unique perspective” on how the city works, gained from his three-decade career on the police force. He’s worked with several administrations to improve residents’ quality of life, he said.

“Sadly, I've also seen how the lack of real leadership can cause a systematic failure throughout the city," Gajewski said. “Jersey City residents deserve to be represented by people with the practical knowledge and proven experience to make our streets safer.”

Gajewski was sworn-in as police chief on June 1, 2000, and remained the chief until Aug. 1, 2001, shortly after Glenn Cunningham became mayor.

Campaign finance documents indicate Gajewski had raised about $25,000 for his council run as of July, while the “Team Fulop” slate had $70,300 on hand as of Sept. 10.

Fulop said in the statement that he tapped Gajewski – who could run for an at-large or Ward A seat, though it hasn’t been determined yet – because of his team’s “commitment” to the city’s crime “problem.”

“We want to leverage the expertise and resources in this city for new leadership to solve these problems,” Fulop said. “This speaks to our commitment to a new direction for the city that focuses on quality of life and helping to get new people involved in politics within our city.”

Fulop’s only real competition for the mayoralty is current Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who said in February that he intends to run for a third full term. The two have clashed for years on issues ranging from tax abatements for Downtown high-rises to the city’s crime rate, though they did both join forces to attempt to stop Spectra Energy from constructing a natural-gas pipeline through portions of the city.